The Associated Press just moved a rather intriguing story by writer Chris Blank about one of the Democratic candidates for Missouri lieutenant governor:
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A pledge from a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor to donate part of his salary could leave him returning even more money to the state.
Michael E. Carter, an attorney from St. Charles, made the pledge on his campaign Web site.
“If the effectively part-time office of Missouri Lt. Governor cannot be given a more meaningful purpose _ justifying the salary received _ then I will give no less than $10,000.00 back to the state treasury or charity,” he wrote.
It’s against state elections law to promise to take a lower salary or pledge a portion of a public official’s paycheck to charity to attract votes. The penalty is one year in jail or a fine of less than $2,500.
Carter did not immediately return a call to his St. Charles law office on Tuesday afternoon.
The state has several classes of election offenses. Promising to take a lower salary is grouped with such offenses as giving sample ballots to mislead a voter, destroying a ballot before it’s given to a voter and interfering with a voter inside a polling place.
None of those types of offenses are deemed connected to the right of suffrage. But some, more serious election law violations are felonies.
Carter is one of six Democrats running for lieutenant governor. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and two other Republicans are also running. One Libertarian has also joined the race.
According to his campaign biography, Carter specializes in real estate and business law and is a college lecturer. He has worked for the U.S. Senate, the Missouri attorney general and the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District.
On his Web site, Carter said he supported Ross Perot’s presidential bids in 1992 and 1996 but always has been a Democrat.
“The apparent Republican ideology of dog eat dog, or fend for yourself, does not set well with him,” his Web site says.
Missourians will narrow the lieutenant governor candidates to one from each political party during a primary election on Aug. 5.